Archive for November, 2010

Even before he rushed for an amazing 327 yards Saturday, Alex Green was fairly high on my list. Gary Allen is tops, with David Toloumu, Anthony Edgar, Travis Sims, Nate Ilaoa and Wilbert Haslip not far behind. Can’t leave out Peter Wilson, whose mark of 270 yards rushing in a game against BYU in 1950 stood until Green topped it Saturday against New Mexico State.

Paul Honda, Jason Kaneshiro, Billy Hull, Ferd Lewis and I will be at Aloha Stadium tonight to give you comprehensive coverage from tonight’s state tournament finals featuring Kaimuki against Iolani and Saint Louis against Waianae.

I’d like to see the Warriors get a big enough lead so that they can start getting some players they’ll be counting on for next season some serious game-time experience. There will be plenty of turnover after this season.

Sound off with your predictions.

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Latest report on Colt Brennan is that he was in stable condition at Queen’s this morning.

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I can’t remember a more exciting high school football game than the state semifinal between Waianae and Mililani last night.

1. Even though it’s not official, UH wanted positive news out there about joining the Mountain West to help counteract the huge negative story about the class action lawsuit against the university for identity privacy lapses.

2. UH didn’t want the “good” news to get lost on Friday, the day when much fewer eyes and ears are on the news. You put bad news out on Friday, but not good news.

3. 7 p.m. at Bachman Hall, same time as the start of the UH volleyball match? This sent a clear message that this had become an Upper Campus deal, that this was President M.R.C. Greenwood’s action and the big dogs had taken charge.

4. The announcement on Thursday night has put UH in a rare situation of (at least, perceived) leverage. WAC commissioner Karl Benson made a counteroffer to UH today — which Benson said was approved by the WAC presidents yesterday. If this offer for UH to keep its football team in the WAC had surfaced before the announcement of intention to leave, things might look quite different today.

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Something else to think about for doubters: If UH had gotten dangerously ahead of itself by making the announcement last night, words to that effect from the Mountain West probably would’ve come out by now.

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As Gomer Pyle used to say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”

Although I’d written several times and spoken to a few people about the possibility of UH joining the Mountain West, I considered it a huge longshot. I didn’t see how UH could convince the MWC that the advantages of having it in the conference outweighed the disadvantages. But they did it.

Game balls to President Greenwood and Rockne Freitas for making it happen and Jim Donovan for setting groundwork several weeks ago.

HOWEVER … That press conference was really strange. Probably would’ve been better to wait until the deal was finalized and not have to dance around it.

Hawaii is now 2-0. Amis with a career-high 24 points. Freshman Barnes with 19 for the second game in a row. Thompson strong down the stretch. Game was tied at 70 with 3-plus minutes left, and UH scored the final 14 points … how’s that for finishing?